Firm, but not entirely united, the European Union has proposed granting additional financial support to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Only Hungary and Slovakia expressed reservations. The proposal comes as Russia accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on a nuclear power plant in the Russian border region of Kursk without causing damage or an increase in radioactivity. The European Commission proposed that the 27 EU countries allocate additional funds in a review of their joint budget to finance other joint spending until 2027, including providing new aid worth 50 billion euros ($52.8 billion) to Ukraine. Total EU support for Ukraine has reached about 83 billion euros since the Russian war in February 2022.
The summit in Brussels aims to highlight the union’s continued support for Kiev even with the outbreak of a new war in the Middle East. A draft joint statement by bloc leaders stated that the EU will continue to provide strong financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people, no matter how long it takes. However, Hungary openly criticized this policy, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Festo appears to have joined the Hungarian camp.
Russia accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on a nuclear power plant in the Russian border region of Kursk, without causing damage or an increase in radioactivity. The operating company confirmed that radiation around the station was at normal levels and that the electricity generators were working.
